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Help please.....dragging back legs

claireb1 said:
I've had the call from Fhb.....she said they had to go no further than x-rays. They found a congenital defect in her spine which is obvious.
She said she was putting the ball back in my court about pts or not. In her opinion she is not in pain and it's a miracle she has ever hopped at all and can still get about as well as she does. She said the decision to pts cannot be reversed but if we don't give her a chance we will never know and if there is a worsening in her condition then we can makethe decision later.
I feel so sad for her that she has always had this and is only so young, we said we want to give her a fighting chance because she has fought so hard herself and is still happy and her usual lively self.
Do you think i'm doing the right thing keeping her going???:(
also makes me wonder now how our vets haven't seen this from their x-rays :?
She also said they have never given a rabbit a cart before but they could try for her if we decided we wanted one
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Sorry to hear your sad news :(, but I suppose atleast in one way you now know what you are dealing with and can move on?! I'm so sorry for you and your bunny though whilst so young :(
I think you will make the right decision, if she seems happy and not in pain then I don't think it does any harm to delay the decision as FHB says? and give it a go being a disabled bun for a while. I don't think you have to make a decision now :)
Perhaps standard Xrays would not show this up? Didn't they do a special type of Xray? Most standard Xrays tend to show just bony mass - if it was soft-tissue or neurological it may not have appeared on these originally. Sending lots of get well wishes your way and strength for you to make your decisions, am sure your bunny knows you love her :)
 
claireb1 said:
I've had the call from Fhb.....she said they had to go no further than x-rays. They found a congenital defect in her spine which is obvious.
She said she was putting the ball back in my court about pts or not. In her opinion she is not in pain and it's a miracle she has ever hopped at all and can still get about as well as she does. She said the decision to pts cannot be reversed but if we don't give her a chance we will never know and if there is a worsening in her condition then we can makethe decision later.
I feel so sad for her that she has always had this and is only so young, we said we want to give her a fighting chance because she has fought so hard herself and is still happy and her usual lively self.
Do you think i'm doing the right thing keeping her going???:(
also makes me wonder now how our vets haven't seen this from their x-rays :?
She also said they have never given a rabbit a cart before but they could try for her if we decided we wanted one
Click to expand...


I think you are definately doing right in keeping her going as she is pain free and happy. Quality of life is more important than quantity to a Bun but it really does not sound as though she is ready to give up yet.

I'd take things one day at a time. Let her live each day as if it were her last and treasure every second with her. You will know if her quality of life declines and the PTS option is always going to be there.

For her the diagnosis is actually OK. It means that there is no need for more stressy tests or GAs/operations. Just her happy life at home with you and Dumpling. Stew wont be thinking 'oh dear what will happen tomorrow, next week, next year. She will just continue to enjoy her life as she knows it :)
 
Thanks ,Jane that has actually sort of made me feel a bit better, hubby is behind me and i've sat and cried for the last hour wondering if i'm being cruel. Fhb said she will probably not remember any different being so young and has learnt to cope with it herself. I'm so sad we'll never see her binky again or periscope trying to get to the top of a bottle of beer (she was a tinker with the booze) but i suppose at least we've seen and will remember those times and now like you say she will be happy to be coming home to us and Dumpling. She rejected our cuddles when we got Dumps for her but said we'd give anything to have her run away from us and back to him now. The last few trips to the vets have been sad, she started shaking really bad and struggled to get to me and cuddled into me so she must know i'm trying my best for her and love her and at least like you say she won't be wondering whats coming next for her. Hard work as it will be, i want to give it a go and make every day special for her from now on, she's fought too hard not to:love:
 
Jack's-Jane said:
I think you are definately doing right in keeping her going as she is pain free and happy. Quality of life is more important than quantity to a Bun but it really does not sound as though she is ready to give up yet.

I'd take things one day at a time. Let her live each day as if it were her last and treasure every second with her. You will know if her quality of life declines and the PTS option is always going to be there.

For her the diagnosis is actually OK. It means that there is no need for more stressy tests or GAs/operations. Just her happy life at home with you and Dumpling. Stew wont be thinking 'oh dear what will happen tomorrow, next week, next year. She will just continue to enjoy her life as she knows it :)
Click to expand...

Oh Claire I'm so sorry that it's not been more positive from FHB, but I completely agree with Jane. At this moment in time I would just take 1 day at a time with her & not think too far ahead. You are bound to question yourself as to whether you are doing the right thing, but trust me little Stew will let you know herself when she's ready to go. From how she's been, I don't think that time is just yet.

I asked myself the same question a million times when Wilson was really poorly & sometimes I still do, because I know he will never be able to race around the garden or house again due to his headtilt. Apart from that he behaves like a normal bunny & loves Alice to bits.

Sending ((((hugs)))) for you & extra special cuddles for little Stew for when she comes home, home Dumpling is still doing ok xxx
 
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I can't wait to get her back, Dumps is so sad without her...
I was going to start a thread asking advice about looking after her from now on (can't start a new thread for some reason aargh!!)
such as she still gets herself in a fashion in to the litter tray, do we keep encouraging her to do stuff for herself like that or get her a low front tray etc etc?? Never thought i'd be looking after a disabled bunny but want to make sure i do everything right for her now :)
 
I'm probably not the best person to ask, as Wilson's illness is different to little Stew's condition - but I think perhaps it's best to let her do what she wants to in terms of using her litter tray. You might need to try a few different types of trays for her to see which is easiest for her to access if that's what she wants to do.

I'm sure if you pm'd Jay of Ebony Eyes that she would happily give you some advice, given the experience she has with the bunnies they look after :)
 
ooh i don't know of her, is ebony eyes her username?
Jane have you got any advice for us?....can't start a thread no idea why!!
Doh! of course i have, i spoke on this thread to her, god i'm dim today!!!
 
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Im so sorry that you recieved bad news. But at least now you know what you are dealing with.

As the others have said Iwould just take each day as it comes as long as shes not in pain theres no reason why she can't carry on.

You may find that you have to make a few adaptions to make her life a bit easier for her.

Hope she battles on well.

take care x
 
Jay's user name is Jaypot - she's Liesel's new bunny mummy (the bunny that became paralysed when speyed) - she was a german lop that Angie at BARC was looking after :) If you look up her user name in the members list, she has a siggy which has got their website address in it :)
 
Thanks - i will pm her and ask for some advice.
So many special bunnies aren't there, just goes to show how much they are loved by their owners :)
 
I'm sorry it turned out this way for you all. At least FHB got the diagnosis quickly & simply, so you know what you are dealing with. I cannot advise about a disabled bunny like Stew, but can confirm that buns live totally in the present.
Mine taught me quite a few "life's lessons"! Please know that a lot of people are "in there with you".
 
Thanks Thumps - and to you all for following this thread and for your support, i'm still so sad for her, but at least we know now and will be giving myslef a good kick up the butt before i bring the girl home tomorrow....she's going to be so spoilt (more than she already is!), gonna start getting some research and advice about how to look after her the best way and anything we can do to help her, she's a tough little bunny for such a tiny thing :love:
 
Well the girl is home at last....she seems to have put a bit of weight on in 2 days (the nurse said she has been eating like a horse:lol:)
They have noticed she puts her legs under her normally sometimes and she has been sitting properly since she came back, she waited for me to put some mats down before she came out the cage on to the wood floor - clever girl my stew! and she has just for the first time ever attempted the bunny flop (didn't go quite to plan but she looked happy enough with it!) so glad to have her home and now she will be spoilt every day she is with us:)
 
claireb1 said:
Well the girl is home at last....she seems to have put a bit of weight on in 2 days (the nurse said she has been eating like a horse:lol:)
They have noticed she puts her legs under her normally sometimes and she has been sitting properly since she came back, she waited for me to put some mats down before she came out the cage on to the wood floor - clever girl my stew! and she has just for the first time ever attempted the bunny flop (didn't go quite to plan but she looked happy enough with it!) so glad to have her home and now she will be spoilt every day she is with us:)
Click to expand...


Awwwwwww I am so pleased that she is now back home !! :D
 
Me too - the house now belongs to Stew, we have mats and blankets everywhere and she is busy eating and cleaning Dumps, i can actually feel a bit more weight on her - we were worried about her being alone - i bet she has been spoilt !!!! got a good pic of them having a minute together will put it on later! :love:
 
claireb1 said:
Me too - the house now belongs to Stew, we have mats and blankets everywhere and she is busy eating and cleaning Dumps, i can actually feel a bit more weight on her - we were worried about her being alone - i bet she has been spoilt !!!! got a good pic of them having a minute together will put it on later! :love:
Click to expand...

I bet Dumpling is so happy that his friend is home :love: :love:
 
He did the typical man thing and hid on the upper level where Stew couldn't get to him :roll:, then when he came down they were soon back to normal!
omg! as i am writing this i have just watched Stew balancing on one front leg whilst using the other to clean her face!!!!, i so hope things keep improving for her, i don't know how she does it!:love::love:
I have never seen these two so happy as today...stew keeps trying to copy Dumps bunny flop - doesn't quite work but she has never done it before and keeps having another go!
 
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